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ANALYSIS 



ELEMENTARY SOUNDS 



ENGLISH LANGUAGE, 



DESIGNED TO 



ACCOMPANY A CHART OF THE SAME, 



WORCESTER'S NOTATION, 






COMPILED BT 

L. W? LEONARD. 

U , 






KEENE: 
GEORGE TILDEN. 

1848. 



ft 



\\^ 



A>^ 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1848, 

By GEORGE TILDEN, 

In the Clerk's office of the District Court of the District of New Hampshire. 



BTIR10TTPED BY C< C T< MO0DY, 52 WASHINGTON STREET, BOSTON. 



PREFACE. 



The principal object in arranging the Chart, which this book is de- 
signed to accompany, has been to exhibit the Notation of Mr. Worcester, 
as contained in his dictionaries. Some of Mr. Worcester's marked letters 
are not seen on the Chart. Being substitutes or equivalents, they were 
not needed for the purpose of showing the elementary sounds of the lan- 
guage. Tor the convenient reference of teachers and pupils, Mr. Wor- 
* cester's Key is inserted in this book. It may be found, also, in the North 
American Spelling Book, which is conformed to Worcester's Dictionary. 

It was thought best to print definitions, directions, examples, &c, in 
this form, not only because the expense would be less than if printed on 
a chart, but because, when printed on a chart, they cannot be so distinct- 
ly seen as to be read hy a large number of pupils standing in a class. As 
a copy of the chart is inserted on page sixth, pupils may be referred to 
that, if a chart is not at hand ; or if, as is sometimes the case, pupils are 
so near sighted that they are not able to distinguish its letters. 

The importance of such exercises as are practised with the aid of a 
chart is beginning to be duly appreciated. Several valuable charts have 
already been published. But as the learning of different systems of no- 
tation, which are presented on these charts, has been found to create 
confusion in the minds of pupils, who use Worcester's Dictionary, it was 
thought to be a point of some importance to have a chart with the same 
marks applied to the letters, that are applied in that work. Mr. Worces- 
ter's consent to their use for this object has been obtained ; and the 
chart has been arranged, not according to the order of the vowels and 
consonants in the common English Alphabet, but with some exceptions, 
according to the Phonotypic Alphabet of Pitman of England, and Messrs 
Andrews & Boyle, publishers of a Journal, printed in phonotypes, called 
u the Anglo Saxon." Much assistance has been derived from a treatise 
on " Phonetics," by Z. Hauritz, from a work entitled " The Alphabet of 
Nature," by A. J. Ellis, London, 1845, and from a work by Wm. Russell, 
entitled, " Orthophony, or the Cultivation of the voice in Elocution," 
which last we would commend to the notice of all persons engaged in 
teaching the art of reading. Several other works have been consulted, 
from some of which extracts have been made. 

The compiler encourages himself in the hope that teachers, who have 
had no experience in the use of a chart of Elementary Sounds, will, with 
the aid of this Analysis, find no difficulty in training their pupils to ar- 
ticulate distinctly and correctly the words of the English language. 
However trifling this dealing with simple sounds may at first seem, yet 
the advantage of training the ears of the young to appreciate delicate 
shades of sound and of strengthening their organs of speech by frequent 
practice, cannot be questioned. 

Dublin, N. K, July 1, 1848. 



KEY 



TO THE SOUNDS OF THE MARKED LETTERS. 
VOWELS. 



1. a long, . . . 

2. a short, . . 

3. & long before r, . 

4. a Italian or grave 

5. a intermediate, . 

6. ft broad, . . 

7. a obscure, . . . 

1. e fon^, .... 

2. e sZiortf, 

3. & like a Zon^ before r, 

4. e obtuse short, . 

5. e obscure, . 

1. I ftm#, . . . 

2. i sAor£, . . . 

3. l like long e, 

4. i obtuse short, . 

5. i obscure, . . 

1. o long, . . . 

2. o sfort, . . . 

3. 8 long and close, . 

4. o broad, like broad a 

5. 6 like short xi, . 

6. o obscure, . 

1. u long, . . . 

2. u sAortf, .... 

3. u middle or obtuse, 

4. li like 6 tn move, 

5. ii obtuse short, 

6. u obscure, . . 
1. y fom#, .... 



. Fate, pain, aid, player. 

Fat, man, lad, carry. 
. Fare, pair, bear, prayer. 

Far, father, part, launch. 
. Fast, branch, grasp, glass. 

Fall, hall, warm, awe, laud. 
. Liar, palace, rival, abbacy. 

Mete, fear, keep, field, ceil. 
. Met, men, sell, h£ad, fSrry. 

There, where, heir. 
. Her, herd, fern, fervid. 

Brier, fuel, celery, rely. 
. Pine, file, bind, mild, fire. 

Pin fill, sit, mirror. 
. Pique, police, marine. 

Fir, sir, bird, virtue. 
. Ruin, elixir, ability. 

Note, oak, own, soul. 
. N5t, con, 5dd, borrow. 

M6ve, soon, sSup, fSSd. 

Nor, form, ought, sordid. 
. Son, done, come, money. 

Actor, confess, felony. 
. Tube, tune, duty, pure. 

Tub, tun, nut, hurry. 
. Bull, full, pull,, cushion. 
. Rule, true, ruin, frtit. 

Fur, turn, murmur, hurt. 
. Sulphur, murmur, deputy. 

Type, style, rhyme, lyre. 



Key. 



2. y short, „ , 

3. y obtuse sJwrt, 

4. y obscure, 

oi and oy, . • 
ou and ow, . 
ew like long u. 



9, 9, soft like s, . , 
4), 5, AarcZ like k, . 
CH, fh, hard like k, 
£H, 9I1, soft like s, 
CH, ch, (unmarked) K£e tsh 



Sylvan, symbol, lyric, lynx. 
; . Myrrh, myrtle, myrmidon. 

. . Truly,envy,martyr,polygon. 
, • Boil, toil boy, toy. 
. . Bound, out, town, now. 
Few, new, dew, jewel. 

CONSONANTS. 

. . Acjid, pla^d, docile, pr^ess. 
. . Flaccid, sceptic, vaccine. 
. . Character fhasm egho fhorus 

9haise,9hevalier,9nampaign. 

Charm, church, chat,chapel. 



&, g, hard, £rei, give, gift, gimlet. 



g, soft like j, 
S, 5, soft, like z, . 
x, soft or fiat, like gz, 
TH, th, so/* or/a£, 



Render, giant, rigid, logic. 
Mu§e, choo§e, wi§e, vi§it. 
Example, exist, exact. 
This, thee, then, thither. 



TH,th, (unmarked,) sharp, Thin, think, pith, truth. 



.' ' } like shun, 
sion, \ ' 

§ion, like zhun, 

. * ' > like shan, 
cian, ) 

cial, i 

sial, < like shal, 

tial, J 

eeous, 1 

cious, V like shus, 

tious, J 

geous, 

gious, 

qu, (unmarked,) like kw, 

wh, (unmarked,) like hw, 

ph, (unmarked,) Zi&6 f, 



like jus, 



Nation, notion, action. 
Pension, mission, passion. 
Confusion, virion, explosion. 
Ocean. 

Optician, politician. 
Commercial, social. 
Controversial. 
Partial, martial nuptial. 
Farinaceous, testaceous. 
Capacious, ferocious. 
Sententious, vexatious. 
Courageous, advantageous. 
Religious, contagious. 
Queen, question, quill. 
"When, while, what. 
Phantom, phrase, seraph. 



6 



CHART 

OF THE 

ELEMENTARY SOUNDS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE: 

WITH WORCESTER'S NOTATION. 





VOWELS. 


ASPIRATES. 


SUB-VOWELS. 


1. 


e 


in 


eat 


21. 


p in 


V a V 


22. 


b in 


hay 


2. 


i 


u 


it 


23. 


■p u. 


?ane 


24. 


v " 


vane 


3. 


a 


a 


ale 


25. 


t " 


ten 


26. 


d " 


den 


4. 


g 


u 


m 


27. 


th " 


thin 


28. 


til" 


then 


5. 


a 


• 


Mr 


29. 


s " 


seal 


30. 


z " 


zeal 


6. 


a 


u 


at 


31. 


eh " 


ohew 


32. 


j " 


\ew 


7. 


a 


a 


ark 


33. 


sh " 


shun 


34. 


zh" 


azure 


8. 


a 


a 


ash 


35. 


k " 


qdke 


36. 


& " 


Qate 


9. 


A 

a 


a 


all 


37. 


h " 


hen 








10. 





a 


fidd 


38. 


fcw" 


when 


; 39. 


w" 


wen 


11. 


ii 


a 


urn 


Diphthongal Sounds. 


40. 


1 " 


kll 


12. 


u 


a 


up 


17. 


i in ice, try. 


41. 


r " 


rare 


13. 





a 


old 


18. 


u " due, few, 


42. 


m" 


maim 


14. 





U 


obey 


19. 


01 " 01 


I, boy, 


43. 


n « 


nun 


15. 


6 


a 


2>m 


20. 


ou " ou£, owZ, 


44. 


ng" 


sun<? 

o 


16. 


A 

u 


u 


pull 




ay" ay 


! 45, 


y " 


y« 



NOTE. — The elementary sounds in the above chart are exemplified 
in the words annexed to the several numbers, and distinguished by 
Roman letters with their appropriate marks. For other marked letters 
see the Key. 



ELEMENTARY SOUNDS. 

An Element in the science of Elocution is any simple 
enunciated sound, of which a letter may be set down as 
the arbitrary or visible sign. An element is the simplest 
known form of a thing ; and the elements of language, 
therefore, consist of the simplest possible sounds into which 
the syllables of its words can be divided or resolved. Ele- 
ments make syllables, syllables words, and words discourse. 
The word pat comes upon the ear as a single impulse, 
but it consists of three elements. In pronouncing it, the 
lips are first pressed together, forming the element p, then 
being opened or separated, the cavity of the mouth as- 
sumes a particular form and the sound of a is heard, and 
lastly, the tip of the tongue is pressed against the gums 
of the upper front teeth, articulating the element t. 
Thus the three simple elements, p, a, and t, form the word 
or sound pat. By placing the element t before a, and p 
after it, we have the word tap. By giving the a its name 
sound a, the word becomes tape, still containing three 
elements, t, a, p, the letter e being added in our or- 
thography, to indicate the long, or name sound of a. 

The number of elementary sounds in the English lan- 
guage is greater than the number of letters, or visible 
signs. The letter which we name a represents, according 
to Mr. Worcester and some other orthoepists, six elemen- 
tary sounds, besides having an obscure sound in most un- 
accented syllables. It will be seen, by the chart, that the 
letter or character a has six different marks to indicate the 
distinct simple sounds, which it represents in different 
words ; a, a, a, a, a, a, as in fate, fare, fat, far, fast, fall. 
It is very important, in all cases, that the element should 
not be confounded with the name of the letter ; for, in 



8 Elementary Sounds. 

many instances there can be no possible connection be- 
tween the names of the letters, and'the sounds given to 
them in words. The names of the letters in the word tvhich, 
are double-you, aitch, eye, see, aitch. Who could ever im- 
agine that the sound to be uttered, after naming these 
letters, is which? 

It has often been suggested that it would be well, if, 
in the first instance, the practice were adopted of associa- 
ting with the form of the letter, not the name of the letter, 
but its elementary sound. In learning to read, children 
are much perplexed by being obliged to change the powers 
ojp sounds of letters, while the forms remain the same. In 
a perfect alphabet, every elementary sound would have 
its own appropriate character or letter, and these charac- 
ters, and no others should be employed in spelling : no 
letter not actually sounded being admitted into a word. 

The English Alphabet is not only deficient in letters to 
indicate the elementary sounds of the language, but sev- 
eral of its letters are superfluous. The y, as a vowel, repre- 
senting 1 in type, 1 in hymn, and 1 or ii in myrrh is not 
needed. Among the consonants, c is superfluous in both 
its sounds, the one being indicated by s and the other by 
k. G in the soft pronunciation, is equivalent to j. Q is 
the same as k, and x is compounded of ks, as in expire, or 
gz as in exhort. 

The number of sounds given on the chart, which this 
book is designed to accompany, is forty-five. Some of 
them, however, as will be seen by subsequent remarks, 
are not simple elements, for they may be analyzed and 
shown to be compounded of more than one simple sound. 
But as the sound of these elements, w T hen united, is not, 
in all cases, precisely the same as when taken separately, 
it is important to have them on a chart, which is intended 
for practical exercises in articulation. 



i 



Elementary Sounds. 9 

" The secret of success in learning the art of delivery, 
consists in attending to one thing at once. A good ar- 
ticulation is an affair altogether mechanical. It requires 
nothing more than attention and continued elementary 
practice. It depends upon a few certain definite positions 
of the organs of speech, and the power of varying these 
positions with rapidity, precision, and energy. Now, 
though every body admits this, scarcely any one attends 
to it. Experience shows that in order to insure a good 
articulation to persons in general, some methods must be 
adopted not at present in general use. What should 
these methods be ? I answer, the only sure means are a 
series of Practical Elementary Exercises. These must 
be practised and persevered in. If the training is 
steadily enforced, it will be successful in ensuring to 
young persons a distinct, forcible, and an impressive articu- 
lation; if it be not adopted and steadily pursued, the 
usual defects will continue. Practice, — practice upon a 
series of elementary tables of the primitive sounds of 
speech and of their varied combinations, is the only 
remedy." — J. Barber. 

The Elementary sounds of the English Language, as 
exhibited on the chart, are divided into vowels, diph- 
thongal sounds, aspirates, and sub-vowels. 

A definition of these classes of sounds will be rendered 
more intelligible, if we first consider more particularly 
the meaning of the term articulation. According to 
common usage, articulation, in the science of Elocution, 
signifies distinct utterance, or exerting the organs of 
speech with due force in dividing and distinguishing the 
sounds of the voice. This is sufficiently accurate for 
practical purposes. But a more exact definition, or what 
may be called an anatomical definition of articulation, 
is that given by Yfebster in the Introduction to his Die* 



10 Vowels. 

tionary. "Articulation," he says, "in human speech, 
is that jointing, juncture, or closing of the organs, which 
precedes or follows the vowels or open sounds, and which 
partially or totally intercepts the voice. A vowel or 
vocal sound is formed simply by opening the mouth. In 
strictness, therefore, a vowel is not an articulated sound. 
Human speech, then, consists of vocal sounds separated 
and modified by articulations of the organs. The power 
of articulation constitutes the great difference between 
men and brutes ; the latter being unable to articulate, 
can utter only vocal sounds." As the word articulation 
expresses the fact of closing the organs, Webster calls 
consonants articulations, or considers the latter the 
preferable term. 



VOWELS. 

Vowels are vocal sounds. They are produced by some 
action in the throat, the result of which is called voice. 
A vowel, then, is voice modified, but not intercepted by 
the various positions of the tongue and lips. The differ- 
ences of vowels depend on the proportions between the 
opening of the lips and the cavity of the mouth, which is 
altered by the different elevations of the tongue. 

DIPHTHONGAL SOUNDS. 

Two simple vocal sounds, pronounced rapidly in one 
syllable constitute a Diphthongal Sound. These sounds 
are sometimes called compound vowels. Dr. Rush, in his 
Philosophy of the Human voice, calls the vowels and com- 
pound vowels " tonic " elements, because they possess 
the largest capacity for the prolongation of sound, and the 
modifications of tone. Three vocal sounds in one syllable 
constitute a triphthong. 



Remarks on the Voivels. 11 



ASPIRATES. 



Aspirates are articulated breath. They have not that 
kind of sound called vocality. They are produced by a 
current of the whispering breath, interrupted and modified 
by the organs of speech. The element h, however, is not 
articulated ; it is simply a strong emission of breath. 
From their want of " tonic " property, Dr. Rush calls 
these elements, " atonic." 

SUB-VOWELS. 

Sub-vowels are articulated with vocality. They have 
some voice in them, but from their inferiority of tone, Dr. 
Rush calls them " sub-tonics." The aspirates are some- 
times called whispered, and the sub-vowels spoken 
consonants. 

REMARKS ON THE VOWELS. 

The vowels on the Chart, it should be observed, are ar- 
ranged in pairs ; first the long or full, and then the corres- 
ponding short or stopped vowel. The first four pairs, 
namely, e, i,-a, e,-a, a,-a, S, are formed in the middle of 
the mouth, and may be called palatal vowels ; the next 
two pairs, a, o,-ii, u, are formed in the throat and may be 
called guttural vowels, — the last two pairs, o, 0,-6, u, 
are formed by the lips, and may be called labial vowels. 
Nos. 1 and 2 require the least opening of the mouth, 
3 and 4 a little wider expansion, 5 and 6 still more, 7 
and 8 more yet, 9 and 10 most of all : at Nos. 11 and 12 
the mouth is less opened ; at 13 and 14 with the same open- 
ing of the mouth, the lips are rounded, and at 15 and 16 
the lips are projected or thrust forward in a tubular form. 
In sounding the vowels, there is no application of the or- 
gans of speech to each other, and when they have assumed 



12 Organic 'Formation of Vowels. 

the right position or conformation, there is a continued 
effusion of vocal sound from the beginning to the end. 

ORGANIC FORMATION OF VOWELS. 

No. 1, e, is formed by dilating the tongue and bringing 
it as close to the palate as possible without touching it. 

No. 2, i, is formed with the organs nearly in the same 
position, but the voice is stopped or broken off suddenly. 

No. 3, a, is formed by opening the mouth a little more 
than in No. 1, and the tongue widening itself to the cheeks 
is not raised so near the palate. 

No* 4, e ; organs nearly in the same position, and the 
voice stopped. 

No. 5, a, is produced by a wider aperture of the mouth 
than in No. 3, and the voice or vocal breath is not thrown 
so far forward on the palate. 

No. 6, &, is the exact short or stopped sound of 
No. 5, requiring the same position of the organs. 

No. 7, a, is produced by a still wider opening of the 
mouth than required in No. 5, and the vocal breath thrown 
a little farther back on the palate. 

No. 8, a. This element is not recognized by many ortho- 
epists. It is marked by Webster the same as No. 7, a in 
ark. Walker and others mark it as No. 6, a in at. Mr. 
Hauritz agrees with Worcester in distinguishing it from 
the short a ; "It differs from the a in father," he says, 
" only by being made short and quick in the utterance." 

No. 9, a, is produced with the mouth open nearly in a 
circular form, while the tongue contracts itself towards 
the root. 

No. 10, o ; organs nearly in the same position, and the 
voice stopped. 

No. 11, it. This has been well named the natural vowel, 
for, in uttering it, the organs rest in their most easy and 



Organic Formation of Vbzvels. 13 

unrestrained position. Mr. Hauritz says, " It is the un* 
moulded material out of which vowels are formed, while 
the other vowels are the same material moulded into par- 
ticular shapes. Hence it is, that most of the other vowels 
have a tendency to fall back into this one, wherever there 
is not enough stress of the voice upon them to retain the 
organs in the proper shape to mould the vowel intended. 
Mr. Worcester," he continues, " the author of several 
dictionaries of the English Language, has denominated 
nearly all the vowels in unaccented syllables, indistinct ; 
by which he means, if he had used our forms of expression, 
that they have dropped into the natural or unmodulated 
vowel utterance." Mr. Worcester does not mean that all 
vowels marked as obscure or indistinct should be sounded 
alike. [See Introduction to his Universal and Critical 
Dictionary, pp. 10 and 11.] 

No. 12, ii ; organs in nearly the same position and the 
voice stopped. 

No. 13, o, is formed by nearly the same position of 
the organs as the a in all, but the tongue is advanced 
a little more into the middle of the mouth, the lips are 
protruded, and form a round aperture like the form of the 
letter, and the voice is not so deep in the mouth. 

No. 14, o. The o, with a dot underneath, is described 
by Worcester as indicating, in many cases, " a slight or 
unaccented long sound, as in carbonate, ebony, omit, fol- 
io wer." This sound is nearly the same that is heard in 
the New England pronunciation of the words whole, 
smoke, coat, wholly, &c. The shortening of the long o, 
in these words, is not practised by correct speakers in 
England. But it is correct for the unaccented syllables 
of such words as are named above, and many others, as 
hero, solo, halo, also, opinion, polite, solicit. Mr. 
Hauritz says, " The stopped sound of this vowel (long o) 



14 Compound Vowels or Diphthongs. 

is heard in a common American pronunciation of the 
words, stone, home, whole, ,coat, &c. It is the sound 
heard in the French word bonne" 

No. 15, 6, is formed by protruding the lips a little 
more than in long o, making a smaller aperture with 
them, and instead of swelling the voice in the middle of 
the mouthy bringing it as forward as possible to the lips. 

No. 16, u ; organs nearly in the same position and the 
voice stopped. 

COMPOUND VOWELS OR DIPHTHONGS. 

No. 17, i,is compounded of the natural short vowel u, 
in up, which is its radical, and e in eat, or the short sound 
of e, (which is -i in it,) for its vanish. Walker makes it 
ae ; Sheridan, ae ; Russell, ai, and Webster says, " It is 
not possible by any character we possess to express its 
true sound on paper. It can be learned only by the 
ear." 

No. 18, u, ew. This diphthong is composed of the 
sounds e and 6, the former so rapidly uttered, and falling 
so quickly into the sound of 6, that its own distinct 
power is not heard, and thus a third sound is formed by 
the junction of the two vowels. The radical is e, noty, 
a consonant, and its vanish 6. Webster says, " When 
it is pronounced yu as in union (yunion), feature (feat- 
yur), it is anomalous, representing both a consonant and 
a vowel." Pronounce the word due, then utter the com- 
pound sound without the d. and the true sound will be 
given. It is often erroneously pronounced as equivalent 
to 66, as toon for tune, nooze for new§, pre§66m for 
presume, &c. 

No. 19, oi, 6y, or ai, ay. Some orthoepists mark the 
first vowel of this diphthong as short, thus, o. The o, a, 
or o is dwelt upon and distinctly heard before it is joined 



Compound Vowels or Diphthongs. 15 

with 1 or y. For this reason it has not always been ar- 
ranged with the elementary sounds. 

No. 20, ou, 6w, or an, aw, is formed with the mouth in 
the position of sounding o or a, but before that sound is 
perfected, by a motion of the under jaw and lips to the po- 
sition of sounding u or 6, the first sound 6 or a is checked 
and blended with the latter. The enunciation of this 
diphthong requires special care. Mr. Russel says, " The 
local error of New England substitutes for its initial sound 
that of a in at, or e in end ; thus, paund for pound, tawn 
for town." The initial sound o or a is sometimes unduly 
prolonged, causing a broad and drawling sound ; thus, 
paw'nd for pound, taw'n for town. 

Dr. Rush makes a in ale, and o in old compound vow- 
els, or diphthongal sounds. According to him a is a 
mixed element vanishing into the sound of e in eve, a 
being the radical. The radical of o vanishes into 66 in 
66ze. Mr. Ellis says, " The vowels a and o are apt to 
be pronounced impurely in England. When the sound of 
a is lengthened, the tongue is liable to approach gradually, 
and almost imperceptibly, to the position requisite for the 
pronunciation of e ; similarly, o, upon being lengthened, 
degenerates into 6. By care and trial," he adds, " this de- 
fective mode of speaking can be remedied." Hauritz says, 
" that a in the English mouth, is very apt to terminate in 
e, so as to form a diphthong ; thus, instead of " papiir," 
we hear " paepiir," or rather " paipiir," a pronunciation 
which, if it is recognized and fixed, and practised by good 
speakers, is as good as any other, but which should then 
be distinguished in printing. By a little pains taking, this 
result may be avoided, and the " a " sound be uttered 
long without degenerating into i. In that case, it is 
identical with the French e, as in cafe." 

Dr. Rush in his analysis of vowels considers a in all, a 



16 Compound Vowels or Dijihthongs. 

in far, and a in an as diphthongal sounds, having a radi- 
cal and a vanish like a and o. Mr. Russell says, " cor- 
rect reading and appropriate singing alike forbid the 
vanish of these sounds to be rendered apparent to the ear. 
It is one of the acknowledged improprieties of enunciation, 
which permits the word aive to terminate in any form ap- 
proaching, — even in the most distant degree, — the neg- 
ligent style of awer" " Let it be admitted," he adds, 
" that the vanish or final portion of the sound, is but an 
unavoidable, accidental ' vocule ' [slightly perceptible 
sound] inseparably attached to the radical or initial sound, 
when we utter it by itself; and it becomes, from its very 
nature, a thing which judgment and taste w r ould alike 
require to be sunk out of notice to the ear, in the enun- 
ciation of syllables, or words." 

There is a sound of e and i before r, when followed by 
a consonant which is recognized by Walker, Smart, and 
others, but it is not recognized by Worcester. Smart says, 
" The sound of e and i in servant, mercy, virtue, irksome 
and mirth are delicacies of pronunciation which prevail 
only in the refined classes of society. It lies between a 
in fair, and ii in urgent." Mr. Ellis says, " We have 
never heard this vowel, although we have heard affected 
purists say, servant, mercy, erksome, merth, but we re- 
gard this pronunciation as thoroughly erroneous." The 
general ear has not been trained to an appreciation of this 
sound. Mr. Hauritz says, it is the sound of the French 
eu, as in veuve, a widow. It may be obtained by pres- 
sing the lips a little forward, in such a manner as to leave 
to the breath a narrower passage than for the e of over, 
and by dwelling longer upon it. 

The following is a scheme of the English vowels, as ar- 
ranged by Mr. Hauritz. He begins with the lowest, the 



Remarks on the Aspirates and Sub-vowels. 17 

guttural vowels, proceeds to the palatal and ends with 
the labial. 

Full, ii, a, — a, a, a, e, — o, 6. 

Stopped, ii, o, — a, a, e, 1, — o, u. 

REMARKS ON THE ASPIRATES AND SUB-VOWELS. 

Nine of the Aspirates have cognate, or related sounds, 
called on the chart sub-vowels, numbered consecutively, 
though placed in separate columns. The aspirates and 
sub-vowels are commonly termed consonants ; and were 
formerly defined as having no sound without the help of a 
vowel, or requiring vowels to express them fully. The 
name, consonant, (from the Latin, con and sonans, 
sounding with,} was given from the idea that a consonant 
could not be pronounced without a vowel, either before or 
after it. This, however, is not the case. It is, indeed, 
difficult to utter some of the consonants without the help 
ox a vowel, as p, t, k, and their related or collateral sub- 
vowels, b, d, §. But the sounds of most of them maybe 
lengthened without destroying their quality. 

Classed according to the organs employed in producing 
them, the consonants are Labials, as p, b, f, v, m, w ; 
Lingua-dentals, (tongue teeth,) as t, d, th, th s, z, 1, r, 
n, y ; Palatals, as ch, j, sh, zh ; Crutturals, as k, g, h, 
hw, ng. 

Another classification has reference to the manner of 
applying the organs in forming the consonants and to the 
quality of their sounds. 1. Abrupts, formed by complete 
contacts of the organs, as p, b, t, d, ch, j, k, § ; [These 
with the exception of ch and j, equivalent to tsh and dzh, 
have been called mutes.'] 2. Semi-vowels, formed by 
partial contacts of the organs, as f, v, th, th, s, z, sh, zh. 
3. Liquids, formed by slight contacts, as 1, r. 4. Nasals, 
or Resonants, formed by complete contacts with the sound 



18 Organic Formation of the Consonants. 

forced through the nose, as m, n, ng. 5. Ambigues, 
doubtful consonants, or almost vowels, as, w, y, h. The 
ambigues are sometimes called coalescents. They form a 
link between vowels and consonants, experiencing some 
slight modification with every vowel with which they 
coalesce. 

ORGANIC FORMATION OF THE CONSONANTS. 

The most marked distinction between the aspirates and 
sub-vowels will be found to be a sort of guttural murmur, 
or suppressed vocal sound, which precedes the sub-vowels, 
when we wish to pronounce them forcibly, but which does not 
precede the aspirates. Thus, if we close the lips, and try 
to pronounce p, no sound will be heard, but in trying to 
pronounce b we shall find a murmuring sound from the 
throat, which seems the commencement of the letter. 
This reciprocal relation between the aspirates and sub-vow- 
els should be carefully noticed. The aspirates are articu- 
lated breath, and all the aspirates, except h, have cognate 
corresponding sub-vowels, and these are articulated vocal 
sounds. The position of the organs in each pair is the 
same, with some slight differences, in their compression. 

No. 21, p, is formed by closing the lips till the breath 
is collected, and then suddenly opening them. The slight 
sound caused by the sudden separation of the lips is the 
aspirate p. 

No. 22, b, is formed with the lips in the same position 
but less compressed. During the compression of the 
lips a vocal sound is heard, which ceases as soon as the 
lips are opened. 

No. 23, f, is formed by pressing the upper teeth upon 
the under lip and expelling the breath. 

No. 24, v ; organs in the same position and uttering 
voice instead of breath. 



Organic 'Formation of the Consonants. 19 

No. 25, t, is formed by pressing the tip of the tongue 
against the gum of the upper front teeth, thus impeding 
the breath, then, by a sudden withdrawal of the tongue, 
allowing it to escape. 

No. 26, d ; organs in the same position and uttering 
voice. 

No. 27, th, is formed by placing the tip of the tongue 
against the inner surface of the upper front teeth, and 
expelling breath. 

No. 28, th, organs in the same position, but with 
vocalized breath. 

No. 29, s, is formed by pressing the tip of the tongue 
against the gum of the upper front teeth and expelling 
the breath so as to produce a hissing sound. No. 30, z, is 
formed with the tongue in the above position but more 
gently pressed against the gum, allowing the vocalized 
breath to escape between the tongue and the gum so as to 
produce a buzzing sound. 

No. 31, ch, is formed by pressing t to sh. 

No. 32, j, by pressing d to zh. 

No. 33, sh, is formed with the fore part of the tongue 
drawn further inward than in pronouncing s, elevating it 
towards the palate, and suddenly expelling the breath. 

No. 34, zh ; organs in the same position with a forcible 
emission of vocalized breath. 

No. 35, k, is formed by raising the middle of the 
tongue towards the palate and forcibly expelling breath. 

No. 36, g, is formed with the same position of the 
organs, but with vocality instead of aspiration. 

No. 37, h, is a mere breathing, and inay be uttered in 
as many ways as there are vowels in the language. 

No. 38, hw, is the vowel u aspirated, as in why, huT. 

No. 39, w, is formed by protruding and contracting 
the lips and uttering voice. " Place the lips in a position 



20 Organic Formation of the Consonants. 

to say 66, then compress them and narrow the opening, 
till, as they approach each other, the sound becomes 
slightly roughened : this roughened sound is the element, 
" w," or if the mere breath is emitted, the corresponding 
whispered ambigue, hw." — Hauritz. 

No. 40, 1, is formed by gently pressing the tip of the 
tongue against the gum of the upper front teeth, and the 
utterance of a vocalized sound. 

No. 41, r, " As we pronounce this element," says Mr. 
Ellis, " it is produced by the tip of the tongue vibrating 
freely while the lower part is fixed. According to some 
writers the tip of the tongue strikes the palate just at the 
termination of the gum. In either case, the effect 
of the vibration is to let the vocalized breath pass, and 
check it alternately." R, at the beginning of a word, or 
before a vowel is more hard or rough, as in ray, spread, 
than at the end of a word or after a vowel, as in war, 
farm. Mr. Russell says, " It should never, when initial, 
extend to a prolonged trill or roll." Mr. Ellis says, " The 
initial value of r is easy, it is the final sound in which 
practice and instruction are most needed. It is not such 
sentences as, ' Round the rugged rock the ragged rascals 
ran their rural race,' which occasion most difficulty, but 
after the vowels a, a, o, ii, as in warm, far, Lord, biir, 
which, too often, can scarcely be distinguished from wa'm, 
fa', Lo'd, bii'. Smart says, that r after a vowel is " a 
sign of mere guttural vibration." Though this may be 
the case, yet the vibration should not be omitted so as to 
make no difference between farther and father. 

No. 42, m, is formed by closing the lips as in p, and 
emitting the voice through the nose. 

No. 43, n, is formed by placing the tip of the tongue 
against the gum of the upper front teeth, and propelling 
the voice through the nose. 



Directions for using the Chart. 21 

No. 44, ng, is formed with the middle of the tongue 
pressed gently against the curtain of the palate, as in §, 
and trying to utter the element n at the same time. 

No. 45, y. " Begin by pronouncing distinctly the vow- 
el e, and while endeavoring to continue this sound, grad- 
ually compress or squeeze the sounding breath, between 
the tongue and the roof of the mouth, just back of the 
teeth, until the sound is roughened by the narrowness of 
the aperture through which it is forced to pass, and this 
roughened, sounding (vocalized) breath will be the ele- 
ment y. In other words, let there be two contrary ef- 
forts, — one to continue sounding e,and the other to close 
the opening through which the sound passes ; the result 
will be, that y will be heard as a distinct element, while 
the tongue will seem to cleave to the roof of the mouth, 
and to be forced very slightly from it by the attempt to 
sound e." — Hauritz. 

DIRECTIONS FOR USING THE CHART. 

It may be convenient for some teachers to have a few 
general directions for using the chart. Such as are here 
given may be found in most of the works on elocution. 
Attention should be particularly directed to the elemen- 
tary sounds, actually heard in the words given as 
examples. The same letter, with different marks, 
stands for several sounds. Attend, therefore, to the 
sounds of the elements. These are, in the vowels and 
diphthongs, twenty in number. We give them here with 
other examples. 1. e or i, as in bee, meet, scene, grieve, 
marine. 2. i, as in pit, hid, whip, rill, sylph. 3. a or 
ei, ey, as in vale, date, rein, they, baker. 4. e, as in 
bell, ten, head, beg, propel. 5. a or e, as in bare, fair, 
pear, parent, there. 6. a, as in bat, can, rap, carry, 
cabin. 7. a, as in bark, scar, charm, garden, enlarge. 



22 Directions for using the Chart. 

8. a, as in bask, mask, pass, pant, raft. 9. ft, or 6, as in 
ball, for, lawyer, corner, august. 10. o, as in hod, not, 
log, fossil, adopt. [Hemark. The vowel marked thus, o, 
in certain words, as loss, cross, cloth, gone, &c, has, in 
common practice, a sound between o in for, and o innSt.] 

11. ii, e, i, y, as in burn, earth, virtue, myrtle, scourge, 

12. u, 6, as in but, tub, run, come, done. 13. o, as in 
bold, tone, holy, noble, wove. 14. o, as in profane, mo- 
rose, hotel, botanic, police. 15. 6, u, as in mSve, prSve, 
s66n, rule, cruel. 16. u, as in full, bush, cushion, book, 
wolf. 17. I, or y, as in dice, file, time, like, type. 18. 
u, ew, as in duty, beauty, dispute, assume, renew. 19. 
oi, oy, as in coil, void, join, joy, alloy. 20. ou, ow, as 
in thou, pound, renown, mountain, coward. 

" The teacher should show or demonstrate the sounds 
of the elements with his own voice. Each vocal element 
is to be exactly sounded. Let each word by which the 
elementary sound is illustrated on the chart, or as above, 
or as may be selected, be pronounced in a slow manner. 
During its pronunciation, let special notice be taken of 
the position of the organs of speech, and of the particular 
sound produced, as the element, which is the immediate 
subject of description, issues from the mouth. This slow 
pronunciation is to be repeated over and over again, until 
the element to be illustrated is clearly distinguished by 
the ear from the rest of the word, and the positions of the 
organs, by which it is formed can be adopted at pleasure. 
It is then to be pronounced alone. In this manner, all 
the vowel elements are to be sounded, and to be sounded 
with such a degree of energy as to come with marked 
distinctness, force and fullness on the ear. This exercise 
is to be continued until the pupil has acquired precision 
and facility in uttering them all. Not many new ele- 



Directions for using the Chart. 23 

ments should be attempted at one exercise, but the pre- 
ceding, that have been practised, should be reviewed." 

" When a class is exercised, each individual should 
sound each element in his turn from the chart or the ex- 
amples given above. Afterwards, the whole class should 
sound them together in concert, the teacher requiring the 
utmost degree of force in their utterance on the part of 
each student, and carefully watching that there is no de- 
viation by any one from the appropriate sound."— 
J. Barber. 

Examples for practice in the elementary sounds of the 
vowels and diphthongs may be found in the columns of 
words in the Spelling Book. In reading, or pronouncing 
words, before they are put out to be spelled, the attention 
of pupils should be directed to their elementary sounds, 
and they should be required to utter them w T ith the care, 
precision, and force of a lesson in enunciation. Careless 
reading or spelling of words induces habits of indistinct- 
ness, which it will require much subsequent effort to 
overcome. 

The consonant elements, as exhibited on the chart, and 
in the table of consonant combinations, should receive 
special attention, for the greatest obstacles to a distinct 
articulation occur in the pronunciation of these. Exer- 
cise in every kind of combination is the proper remedy 
for indistinct utterance. All the mere directions in the 
world, whether in books or out of them, will be of no avail 
without practice of these elements. The articulation of 
pupils, will, at first, be somewhat stiff and formal ; for the 
teacher should insist on the exact pronunciation of every 
element : but if the organs of speech are diligently and 
perseveringly exercised in these difficult combinations, 
they will, by degrees, acquire facility as well as precision, 



24 Directions for using the Chart. 

grace as well as force, and in the end, distinctness and 
ease will be united and permanently secured. 

A sufficient number of examples of consonant elements, 
uncombined, may be found in the Spelling Book. These 
therefore, are not inserted in the table. As, in general, 
only one example of. each combination is given, pupils or 
teachers should select others, forming lists which will sup- 
ply exercises for practice in their connection with the dif- 
ferent vowel elements. For instance, examples of the 
combination of s, k, and r, may be found in the following 
words, screen, scrip, scrape, scrawl, scrofula, scrub, 
scroll, scruple, — of sh and r, in shriek, shrink, shrill, 
shroff, shrove, shrub, shroud, — d, s, and t, in didst, midst, 
lead'st, mad'st, heard'st. 

Some of the combinations, especially those formed by 
contractions, are not often met with, yet it will be best to 
practise them, that when they do occur, they may be ut- 
tered without embarrassment. The Avord which conta : ns 
an example for practice, should first be slowly enunciated, 
and the consonant elements carefully noticed : then, the 
combined sound of those elements should be given alone, 
each in its pure simple sound without any regard to the 
alphabetical name of the letters. " The ear," says Mr. 
Russell, " should in all cases, be trained to the utmost 
exactness and precision, in detecting and seizing the true 
element of sound, independently of the form or combina- 
tion of letters, by which it may be represented." 

Mr. Goldsbury gives the following direction for pro- 
nouncing the elementary sounds ; the words containing 
compound elements should be pronounced six times, loud, 
louder, loudest, — soft, softer, softest. The words con- 
taining simple elements should be pronounced three times 
only, after which the elements should be distinctly and 
forcibly uttered, apart from the other elements of the 
word." 



directions for using the Chart. 25 

To render pupils familiar with the marks of Notation, 
they should be required to apply them to words written 
on the Black-board. Such an exercise will afford a prac- 
tical test of their knowledge of elementary sounds as well 
as of the system of Notation. For the best methods of 
instruction with the use of the Black-board, teachers are 
referred to Mr. Goidsbury's work on that subject, It 
contains a list of " common errors in pronunciation,' 7 
which should receive careful attention, for many are 
not aware of the errors they commit, till they see them 
thus pointed out. 

The error of some teachers, especially female teachers, 
has been to permit their pupils to practise the elements 
with so little energy as to impart no additional strength 
to the vocal organs. The degree of force should be reg- 
ulated by the size of the room. The utmost degree of 
force should be practised, only in the open air, or in very 
large rooms. 

Due exercise of the vocal organs is promotive of health. 
"Were we," says Dr. Comstock, " to exercise our voices 
a few minutes every day, according to just principles, 
the number of deaths from pulmonary affections, especially 
consumption, I have no doubt, would be greatly dimin- 
ished." 



26 



Combinations of Consonants. 



COMBINATIONS OF CONSONANTS* 



PI, 


play. 


Pt. 


lift 


Dndst 


. hard^rtd^sL 


«: 


apple. 


Pts. 


lifts. 


Dr. 


dream. 


Pld. 


rippPd. 


Ptst. 


liffst. 


Dz. 


adds. 


Pis. 


appPs. 


Pth. 


fifth. 


Dst. 


midst. 


5 Plsfc 


crippPst. 


5 Pths. 


fifths. 


5 Dth. 


breadth. 


Pldst. 


crippV d'st. 


Vz. 


saves. 


Dths. 


breadths. 


Pn. 


sharp' n. 


Vd. 


saved. 


Sfi 


sphere. 


Pnd. 


sharp 1 rid. 


Yst. 


sav'st. 


SI. 


slay. 


Pnz. 


sharp' ns. 


Vdst. 


saifd'st, 


u 


whistle. 


10 Pnst. 


sharpWs^. 


10 VI. 


drivH. 


10 Slz> 


muscles. 


Pndst 


sharp Vc?'s£. 


Viz. 


drives. 


Sk. 


sky, school, 
sclerotica. 


Pt. 


wept. 


Vlst. 


driv'lst. 


SkL 


Pts. 


precepts. 


Vldst. 


dri v'Pd st. 


Skr. 


scribe. 


Ps. 


perhaps. 


Vn. 


heav'n. 


Sm. 


small. 


15 Pst. 


lapsed. 


15 Vnz. 


heavens. 


15 Sn. 


snow. 


Pth. 


depth. 


Vnst. 


leav'n'st. 


Sp. 


spite. 


Pths. 


depths. 


Vnd. 


leavn'd. 


u 


wasp. 


Br. 


braid. 


Vndst 


leavrfd^sL 


Sps. 


wasps. 


u 


sabre. 


Th. 


truth. 


Spl. 


spleen. 


20 Brs. 


sabres. 


20 Ths. 


truths. 


20 Zl. 


puzzle. 


Bl. 


blame. 


Th. 


Hiy. 


Zlz. 


puzzles. 


u 


able. 


a 


breathe. 


Zlst. 


pnzzVst. 


Bis. 


troubles. 


Thz. 


hreathest. 


Zld. 


puzzVd. 


Bid. 


troubled. 


Thst. 


breath'st. 


Zldst. 


puzzPd'si. 


25 Blst. 


troubPst. 


25 Thdst 


brea^A'cTsJ. 


25 Zm. 


chasm. 


Bldst. 


troubl'd'st. 


Tl. 


settle. 


Zmz. 


chas??zs. 


Bs. 


robs. 


Tlz. 


settles. 


Zn. 


reas'n. 


Bd. 


YObVd. 


Tlst. 


settl'st. 


Znz. 


reas'«s. 


Bst. 


robtfst. 


Tldst. 


settVd'st. 


Znd. 


Yeas'rfd. 


30 Bdst. 


voWd'st. 


30 Tn. 


whiPn. 


30 Znst. 


Yeashi'st. 


M. 


flame. 


Tnz. 


whifns. 


Zndst 


seasVcTs'. 


< ; 


rifle. 


Tnd. 


whif n'd. 


Tsh-ch.cAurcA. 


Pis. 


trifPs. 


Tnst. 


vrhifn'st. 


Tshst 


toucJi'st. 


Pld. 


tri';/7d, 


Tndst 


whifrfcPst. 


Tsht. 


touched. 


35 Plst. 


triflst. 


35 Tr. 


tread. 


35 Tshdst.toucAWsJ 


Pldst. 


triftd'st. 


Ts. 


hats. 


Dzh,j 


.judge. 


Fn. 


q/Yn. 


Dl. 


kindle. 


Dzhst 


. ]ud(/st. 


Pnz. 


deafens. 


Dlz. 


kindles. 


Dzhdst.jiH/^'cTsf. 


Pnd. 


deafened. 


Did. 


kindPd. 


Sh. 


ship, wish. 


40 Pnst. 


deafrfst. 


40 Dlst. 


kindPst. 


40 Shr. 


shrine, 


Pndst 


. deafridst. 


Didst. 


kindPd'st. 


Zh. 


fusion,ran#e. 


Pr. 


/rail, 


Dn. 


harden. 


Kl. 


claim. 


Prd. 


oifrd. 


Dnz. 


hardens. 


« 


circle. 


Ps. 


chiefs. 


Dnd. 


hanfti'dL 


Klz. 


circles. 


45 Pst. 


laugWst. 


45 Dnst. 


harc?Vs£. 


45 Kid. 


bnckPd. 



Combinations of Consonants. 



27 



Knd. blackrid. 

lvr. cry, cruel, 

Ks. rocks j bojr. 

Kst. next, seek'st. 

5 Ksth. sixth. 

Kstlis. sixths. 

Kt. ac£, acta. 

Gl. ^ad, eagle. 

Glz. min^/es. 

10 Gld. mingl'd. 

Gist, mine's*. 

Gldst. mingl'd'st. 

Gd. bragfd. 

Gz. di#s. 

15 Gst. digg'st. 

Gdst. diggd'st. 

Gr. grave. 

Lb. buZ6. 

Lbz. bu/6s. 

20 Lbd. buZ&d 

Ld. ho/cZ. 

Ldz. bolds. 

Ldst. bold' st. 

Lf. e// se// 

25 Lfs. gu(/». 

Lfth. twelfth. 

Ldzh.lj.bu/#e. 

Ldzhd. bulged. 

Ldzhst. indulg'st. 
30 Ldzhdst, indulg'd'st. 

Lk. silk. 

Lks. silks. 

Lkt. milk'd: 

Lm. elm. 

35 Lmz. elms. 

Lmd. whelmed. 

Ln. fa/£ 7 «. 

I/p. he/p. 

Lps. he/ps. 

40 Lpt. help'd. 

Ls. else. 

Lst. call'st. 

Lz. ca//s. 

Lt. feft. 
45 Lts. hafrs. 

Ltst. melfst. 



Lv. 

IiVZ. 

Lvd, 

Lth. 
5 Lths. 

Rb. 

Rd. 

Rdz. 

Rf. 
10 Rfs. 

Kg. 

Bgs. 

Rdzh. 

Rdzhd. 
15 Rk. 

Rks. 

Rkt. 

Rl. 

Rlz. 
20 Rid. 

Rldz. 

Rm. 

Rmz. 

Rmd. 
25 Rmst. 

Rmdst. 

Rmth. 

Rn. 

Rnz. 
30 Rnd. 

Rndst. 

Rp. 

Rps. 

Rpd. 
35 Rz. 

Rd. 

Rst. 

Rsts. 

Rt. 
40 Rts. 

Rtst. 

Rv. 

Rvz. 

Rsh. 
45 Rth. 

Rths. 



solve. 

solves. 

solved. 

bealth. 

bealths. 

orb. 

word. 

affords. 

wharf. 

serfs. 

burgh. 

icebergs. 

urge. 

urg'd. 

bark. 

barks. 

barked. 

burl. 

burls. 

burVd. 

worlds. 

arm. 

arms. 

arwUd. 

armst. 

arni'd'st. 

warmth. 

earn. 

earns. 

earned. 

earnd'st. 

harp. 

harps. 

Iiarp'd. 

fears. 

feared 

fi rst. 

bursas. 

par*. 

pares. 

part'st. 

cun;e. 

curz'es. 

harsh. 

birth. 

births. 



Mst. doom'st. 

Md. doomed. 

Mdst. dooin'd'st. 

Mf. nymph. 
5 Mfs. nymphs. 

Mft. triumph'd. 

Mp. damp. 

Mps. lamps. 

Mt. temp*. 
10 Mts tempt*. 

Mtst. tempest. 

Mz. comes 

Mst. seeni'st. 

Nd. send. 
15 Ndz. sends. 

Ndst. send'st. 

Ndzh. cha/?#e. 

Ns. tense. 

Nt. te*tf, 
20 Nts. tents. 

Nth. tew*A. 

Ngth. length. 

Ngthn. strength' n. 

Ngthnz. strengthens. 
25 Ngthnd. strength'n'd. 

Ngthnst. strength' ri 'st 

Ngthndst. " ngtJmdst. 

Nz. tens. 

Nst. agai?ist 
30 Ng. wrong. 

Ngz. wrongs. 

Ngd. vrrongd. 

Ngst. wro?ig'st. 

Ngdst. wrong d'st, 
35 Ngk. thi/?/j. 

Nkst. thinFs*. 

Nght. tha?iM. 

Ngkts. precirccte. 

Consonants com'd with u or w. 

Gw. languid. 

40 Dw. dwell. 

Thw. f/iwart. 

Tw. twine. 

Sw. sweet, suite, 

Qw. quite. 

45 " cwirass* 



28 Sounds of unaccented Vowels. 

SOUNDS OF UNACCENTED VOWELS. 

" Those who wish to pronounce elegantly," says Walk- 
er, " must be particularly attentive to the unaccented 
vowels, as a neat pronunciation of these forms one of the 
greatest beauties of speaking." But the want of accent, 
as Walker admits, is apt to render the sound of the unac- 
cented vowels obscure, for he says, " The relaxation or 
feebleness which succeeds the accent, suffers the letters 
to slide into a somewhat different sound, a little easier to 
the organs of pronunciation. Thus, the first a in cabbage 
is pronounced distinctly, while the second goes into an 
obscure sound bordering on the i short ; so that cabbage 
and village have the a in the last syllable scarcely distin- 
guishable from the e and i in the last syllables of college 
and vestige. 

Walker says, moreover, that " a, e, i, o, and y, coming 
before r in a final unaccented syllable, go into an obscure 
sound so nearly approaching to short u, that if the accent 
were carefully kept upon the first syllables of liar. Her, 
elixir, mayor, martyr, &c, these words, without any 
perceptible change in the sound of the last syllable, might 
all be written and pronounced, liur, liur, elixur, mayur, 
martur, &c." 

The same may be said of the vowels, especially e and 0, 
before r, in unaccented syllables not final, as in miserable, 
pilferer, consideration, valorous, memorable, &c. In 
such accented terminations as op, ob, ot, om, on, ol, the 
sounds nearly like short or obscure u, as in bishop, Jacob, 
bigot, kingdom, lion, viol, In the termination el, et, es, 
the e differs very little from short i, as in barrel, funnel, 
ferret, gazes, taxes. 

Great care should be taken that the unaccented vowels 
be not changed into other sounds any farther than is sane- 



Sounds of Unaccented Vowels. 29 

tioned by good usage, and on the other hand, they should 
not be made so prominent as to render pronunciation stiff 
and formal. The vowels a and e, before nee, nt, and 
some other letters are too often changed into short it, as in 
prudence, present, grievance, arrogant, tolerable, restora- 
tive, which are pronounced as if spelled, prudunce, present, 
grievimce, arrogimt, tolerable, restorative. The short % 
is often heard as u in such w^ords as sensible, terrible, sen- 
sitive ; thus, sensible, terrable, sensitive. The i in the 
unaccented syllable di before a consonant, as in direct, 
digest, divest, divine, divide, &c, should not in most 
cases, be long I, but short 1 as in ill : or it should be the 
exact short sound of long e, which is nearly the same as 
short l. The unaccented a in such words as abate, about, 
alone, above, &c, should not be a as in ale, but a as in 
£sk. The final a in comma, manna, idea, hosanna, is apt 
to be sounded like the natural vowel ii, No. 11 : the true 
sound is that of a in ask, that is the short a of ark, a lit- 
tle obscured. The a in the final syllables of adjectives 
ending in ate, as immediate, temperate, and of some 
nouns, as senate, pirate, &c, has nearly the sound of 
short e, or what is in fact the true short sound of long a. 

" The unaccented terminations in ace have the a 
so short and obscure as to be nearly similar to the it in its, 
thus 2ial ace j solace, menace, &c, might without any great 
departure from their common sound, be written pallus, 
sollus, &c, while furnace almost changes the a into i, and 
might be written fumiss" [See Walker, prin. 91.] 

Walker says, " The vowel e before I and n in the final 
unaccented syllable, by its being sometimes suppressed 
and sometimes not, forms one of the most puzzling difficul- 
ties in pronunciation." And he adds, " This diversity in 
the pronunciation of these terminations ought the more 
carefully to be attended to, as nothing is so vulgar and 



30 Examples for Practice, 

childish as to pronounce sivivel and heaven with the e dis- 
tinct, or novel and cliicken with the e suppressed." The 
pronunciation, which Walker condemns as vulgar, has 
been gaining ground in New England of late years ; and 
we hear heaven pronounced heav-un, and the word often, 
in which the t and e are silent according to all diction- 
aries, is heard with both t and e sounded. [See Remarks 
after Phonetic Spelling.] 

EXAMPLES FOE PRACTICE. 

The following examples are chiefly designed for exer- 
cises in the enunciation of the consonant elements. They 
have been selected from various works on elocution. 
They should be practised, a few at a time, as occasion 
may call for them. Exercises in enunciation should not 
be continued more than five or ten minutes, and after 
drilling on an element or combination of elements, the 
trial of a sentence in which it is contained will prove ad- 
vantageous. Some of the examples are nonsense, but as 
the principal attention is to be directed to the elements, 
and as these nonsense-examples furnish variety which is 
adapted to excite interest, they w r ere not rejected. 

EXAMPLES. 

Nos. 21, 22. The public policy of the present Pope, Pius. 

The Bible is the best of books : the Book of Books. 
Nos. 23, 24. And find a fane in every sacred grove. 
Nos. 25, 26. And oft at dawn, deep noon and evening mild. 
Nos. 27, 28. This is the thirtieth thief that hath been thieving there. 
Nos. 29, 30. As runs the glass, man's life doth pass. 
Nos. 31, 32. The chanting in the church charmed the judge and jury. 
Nos. 33, 34. She wished to shun, the delusion of pleasure. 
Nos. 35. 36. Come, calm content. God is the giver of all good. 
No. 37. Up the high hill he heaves a huge round stone. 

Nos. 38, 39. The wheel whirls while the whipper whips. 

Yv'eave the warp and weave the woof. 
No. 40, The lowing herd winds slowly o'er the lea. 

No. 41. Pap id runs the river, rushing o'er the rocks. 

~For morn is approaching your charms to restore. 






Examples for Practice* 31 

No. 42. And now, methinks I hear 

The music of the murmur of the stream. 
No. 43. None knew nor need to know his name. 
No. 44. England's king lay waking and thinking all the morning. 
No. 45. Year af ter year the oer-ripe ear is lost. 

MISCELLANEOUS EXAMPLES. « 

And hope enchanted smiled and waved her golden hair 

And oft thy voice in dreadful thunder speaks. 

And 61ew a 61ast so loud and dread. 

Thou liv 1 st i — liiPst, did I say ? appeal's* in the senate. 
5 Thou barVdst the dart by which he fell. 

Fifths, sixths, sevenths, eighths, ninths, tenths, elevenths. 

From the sharp .will shriek, in fear she shrank. 

Mark but my fall, and thai thai ruined me. 
Be just and fear not, 
10 Let all the ends thou aim'st at, be thy country's. 

Thy God^s and truth's : then, if thou f&Wst, O Cromwell, 

Thou iaWst a blessed martyr. 

We icii&lj ivish. white wiser z6'orkmen wan. 

The arure sea is fining with sMps. 
15 Crazed with carHng cares, and Allied with corroding griefs. 

His zeal was blazoned from zone to zone. 

The painted pomp of pleasure's proud parade, 

Now low shall bow before the power of arms. 

Oh holy hope, to live beyond the tomb. 
20 I had no idea my end was so near. 

Thou anoititest my head with oil. 

A sense of duty induced him to maintain purity. 

He was buoyed up by a consciousness of right. 

Of all acts I object most to this act. 
2b The axe is laid at the root of the tree. 

Ice cream. I scream. 

His cry moved me. His crime moved me. 

An ice house. A nice house. 

Wastes and deserts. Waste sand deserts. 
30 To obtain either. To obtain neither. 

He could pay nobody. He could pain nobody. 

The finest streams through tangled forests stray. 

The magistrates ought to prove it. The magistrate sought, &C. 

That lasts till night That last still night. 
35 Whoever imagined such an ocean to exist ? 

Whoever imagined such a notion to exist ? 

The stedfas* stout masfc stood against the severest storm. 

" Exulti?zc/, trembliw#, raging, fainti??^, 

Possessed beyond the muses painti/t^." 



32 Examples for Practice. 

" Then shook the hills with thunder riv'n, 
Then rushed the steed to battle driv'n, 
And louder than the bolts of heav'«, 
Far flashed the red artillery.' T 
5 " Amidst the mists, with stoutest boasts, 
He thrusts his fists against the posts. 
And still insists he sees the ghosts." 
The state was goverrad by a learn -ed governor. 
Thou arm'dst the hand that laid thee low. 
10 Thou wrongest thyself to write in such a case. 
His best purposes were all /Parted. 
" Blest comforter, come down, 
And live and move in me. 7 ' 

Mr. W. H. Day, in a work entitled " The Vocal School," 
says, " There are several general errors in singing the 
subtonic (sub-vowel) elements. 1, That of not articulating 
them at all. 2, That of giving them with so little dis- 
tinctness in connection with words that little else is heard 
than tonic (vowel) elements. 3, That of changing and 
separating them from the words to which they belong, so 
that the sentiment becomes perfectly unintelligible to the 
auditor ; or else so as completely to alter the sense." 
" The last error," he says, is the most common, and the 
most confusing." According to him, the above example 
is sometimes sung as follows, 

" Blest comforter come down, 
An li van moo vm me." 

The above named error is prevalent among readers as 
well as singers. The elements t and d are very apt to be 
suppressed. 

" Ho ! ye that pant for living streams, 

And pine away and die." (Liable to be read thus.) 

" Ho ! ye that pan for living stream 

Zan pine away an die." 

" Amid a thousand snares I stand, 

Upheld and guarded by thy hand." (Liable to be read thus.) 

" Ami da thousan snare zi stan 

Duphel dan guar ded by thy han." 

" In worlds above and worlds below." (Liable to be read thus.) 

" In worl zabove an worlz below." 



. Table of Substitutes , or Equivalents* 



83 



TABLE OP SI~BSTITUTES, OH EQUIVALENTS. 

The elementary sounds of the English language are 
represented in our orthography in a .great variety -of ways. 
In consequence of this, the real elements of words are 
seldom indicated by the letters which compose them, es- 
pecially if we give the letters their name sound. The 
element e is represented in twelve different ways. The 
•letters ou represent eight different elements. Thus, not 
only the difficulty of spelling, but of analyzing words or 
determining their specific elements, is very much increased. 
The following table, though full, raay not be complete. It 
will be of service to pupils in the exercise of phonetic spel- 
ling, or spelling by sounds. The parallel lines =, are 
to be read, "is represented by." 



- ae In Pae&n 
s ay in quay, ffce) 
= ea in plea 
= ee in feel 
= ei in conceit 
= eo in people 
= ey in key 
= i in marine 
= ie in field 
= o.e in oesophagus 
= ui in mosquito. 
= e in pretty 
= ee in been 
= ie in sieve 
= o in women 
= u in busy 
= mi in gnik 
= y in hymn 
= ai in fountain 
= ei in forfeit 
= ia in carriage 
= oi in tortoise. 
= ae in Gaelic 
= m in pain 



ITOWELSL 

I = sl.o in gaol 
= ay in pay 
= aye in aye 
= ea in great 
= ei' in rein 
= ey in they 
= ue in bouquet 
= au in gauge. 
t= a in many 
= ae in diaeresis 
= ai in again 
= ay in says 
= ea in dead 
= -ei in heifer 
= ^eo in leopard 
= ie in friend 
= oe in Oedipus 
= ue in guess 
= u in busy 
a = aa in Aaron 
== g.i in pair 
= ay in prayer 
= ea in bear 
= § in there 



a = ee m ne er 
= ei in heir 
= ey in ey're. 

a = ai in raillery 
= ua in guarantee 

& = aa in Canaan. 

a = auinnaunt 
= e in clerk ? 
= ea in heart. 
= ua in guard 

a = aw in law 
= awe in awe 
= au in fraud 
= 6 in nor 
= eo in George 
= oa in broad 
= gu m bought 

o = a in what 
= au in laurel 
= ou in cough 
= owin knowledge. 

ii = e in her 
= ea in earn 



34 



u = < 



Table of Substitutes, or Equivalents. 



r I in fir 


! u = eau in beauty 


d = bd in bdellium 


= ou in scourge 


= eu in feud 


= Id in would* 


= y in myrrh. 


= ew in few 


th = phth in phthisis 


= o in done 


= ieu in adieu 


s = e in acid 


: oe in does 


= iew in view 


= sc in scene 


= oo in flood 


= ue in due 


= sch in schism* 


= on in touch 


= ui in juice. 


= st in thistle 


= ai in Britain 


j oti = ow in town. 


= sw in answer 


-eo in dungeon 
: eou in gorgeous 
: io in fashion 


6i = 6y in joy 

= eoi in bourgeois 


= ps in psalm 
z = s in rose 
= c in. suffice 


: oi in avoirdupois 


AMBIGUESv 


= cz in Czar 


: qw in. bellows 
: no in liquor. 


we =u@ in mansuetu&e 
= uee m queen 


= x in XenophoB 
ch= tchin catch 
j = di in soldier 

= §: in g:em 


= an in hautboy 


= ui in suite 


; eau in beau 
: e» in yeomas 


wi = ui in languid 
wa = ua in language 


= dg in judge 

= chin Ipswich (ipsij 


= ew in sew 


we = ue in guelf 


i sh= eh- in chaise 


: oa in goat 


woi = uoy in buoy 


= e in associate 


: oe in woe 


wi = oi in ch©ir 


= ce in ocean 


: oo in door 


wu =o in one 


— ci in social 


: ou in though 


yu =fi. m use 


= sci in conscien'ous 


: ow in show 


= eu in grandeur 


= se in nauseous 


: owe in owe. 


= ewe in ewe 


= si in pension 


: oe in shoe 


yu = u in future 


= t in negotiate 


= oeu in manoeuvre 


y = i in union 


= tl in nation 


• oo in moon 


y = j in hallelujah: 


= s in sure 


: ou in soup 




zh= z in razure 


: u in rule 


CONSONANTS. 


= s in vision 


: ue in true ' 


p = gh in hiccough 


= g in rouge 


: ew in screw 


= ph in diphthong 


k = c in care* 


: ui in fruit 


b = p in cupboard 


= eh in echa 


= aou in caoutchouc 


f = ph in phrase 


= ck in rock 


= o in wolf 
: oo in book 


= ft in often 
= gh in enough 


= Ik in walk 
= gh in lougls 


= ou in could. 


= lf in half 
v = f in of 


= q in liquor 
g = gh in ghost 


ai in aisle 


= ph in Stephen 


ks= x in tax 


ey in eying 


= lv in halve 


gz = x in exhort 


eye in eye 


t = d in faced' 


h = wh in who 


ei in height 


= cfc in indict 


hw= wh in white 


ie in die 


= cht in yacht 


1 = Ie in bible 


ui in guide 


= pt in receipt 


= gl in seraglio; 


uy in buy 


= bt in debt 


= si in island! 


y in type 


= th in thyme 


r = rh in rlyme 


ye in rye. 


= phth in phthisic 


= rrhin catarrh 






Phonetic Spelling. 



35 



= rt in mortgage 
= rps in corps 
= wr in write 
m = mp in tempt 
= lm in balm 



= mb in lamb 
= mn in solemn 
== gm in phlegm 
= kn in knew 
= gn in gnaw 

PHONETIC SPELLING. 



= pn in pneumatics 
= mn in mnemonics 
= nd in handsome 
ng= n in think 
= mp in aidecamp. 



Spelling words fey the elementary sounds of the letters instead of their 
names will prove a useful exercise. It will not be difficult for those 
who have practised the elements till they can be executed with distinct- 
ness and ease. The teacher should enunciate the word designed to be 
spelled in so distinct a manner that each elementary sound of which it 
is composed may be made evident to the ear of the pupil, or pupils, who 
are to spell it. If a pupil mispronounces a word m his reading lesson, it 
will enable him to correct his error, if he is required to give an analysis 
of it. The close attention demanded for a correct analysis will be likely 
to cause him to remember the true pronunciation. 



Words. 


Elements. 


Words. 


Elements. 


cede 


sed 


harpoon 


h a r p 6 n 


reign 


ran 


isle 


II 


hedge 


h 6 j 


assume 


a s s u m 


heir 


a r 


anoint 


6. n bl n t 


knack 


n & k 


abound 


a b oil n d 


balm 


bam 


cousin 


k H z n 


glass 


g 1 a s 


waxen 


w a k s n 


wrought 


rat 


yarrow 


y a r r o 


knock 


n o k 


caution 


k a sh ii n 


surge 


s ii r j 


passion 


p a sh ii n 


once 


w H n s 


vizier 


v I z y ii r 


holy 


h 6 1 i 


factious 


f a k sh ii s 


wholly 


hoin 


partial 


p a r sh a 1 


author 


a t h ii r 


whitewash 


hw I t w 6 sh 


order 


6 r d ii r 


whereof 


hw a r o f 


breathing 


b r e th I ng 


supports 


supports 


breathless 


b r 6 th 1 e s 


expects 


ekspgkts 


junior 


j u n y ur 


against 


agenst 


bishop 


b I sh u p 


victuals 


vHlz 


nothing 


n u th I ng 


sumach 


sh 6 m a k 


often 


of n 


forests 


forests 


Christmas 


k r £ s m & s 


anxious 


a ng k sh u s 


question 


kwestyiin 


leisure 


1 e zh ii r 


usury 


y u zh u r i 


phenix 


f e n I k s 


basket 


basket 


forehead 


fored 


drunken 


d r ii ng k n 


engaged 


6 n g a jd 


attached 


a t t a eh t 


vitiate 


v I sh i a t 



86 Phonetic Spelling 1 . 

Remarks. In the foregoing table, the rowels in the unaccented syl- 
lables are in most cases, marked as distinct. In enunciating whole 
words, they will of necessity be somewhat obscured. Pupils will find 
most difficulty in determining the sounds of unaccented vowels, and in 
putting out a word for analysis^ teachers will be tempted to give them* 
undue prominence. But, in cases where the vowel is nst evidently 
changed from want of accent, the appropriate sound may be made mani- 
fest without seeming to be ostentatiously obtruded upon the notice of 
the ear. Walker marks the word basket with a short i in the second 
syllable, and covet with a short i ; and of twenty-five words ending in et. 
unaccented, selected at random — Jjfieen have it and ten, ei. and so with 
other consonants after c in an unaccented syllable, especially 1 and n :; 
they are more generally marked by Walker with a short i than with a 
short e. One would think that novel and hovel should be pronounced 
alike, but the first is respelled novel and the second hovil. All this- 
shows that e is obscure and liable to be changed into short f in unaccen- 
ted syllables. But the sound of short e, as before intimated, may be 
preserved in these syllables without being made so prominent as to of- 
fend the ear. Before n, followed by t or ce, as in present, presence, fra- 
grant, fragrance, &c. Walker marks both a and e as short, thus e, e, 
They are too often changed into i(, and on the other hand, sometimes are 
uttered so distinctly as to make it appear as if the reader was practising a 
lesson which had been imperfectly learned. The a in the unaccented 
termination al, as in fatal, legal, &c, Walker marks as distinct, thus a, 
but he did not mean it should be enunciated with any such distinctness 
as is heard in the second syllables of fatality, and legality. The termina- 
tion ess is generally pronounced like ?ss ; but it is uniformly marked by 
Walker with a distinct short e, as in artless, calmness ; — the e should be 
heard but not distinctly. The a in such words as contrary, necessary, 
considerable, portable is marked by Walker as short &, but the true 
sound is not distinct short or stopped a as in at, nor is it Jong a, as some 
utter it ; yet it is as near long a as short a. — it is the sound which is heard 
in the last syllable of Sunday, when it is pronounced Sun'da, instead of 
Sun'dy. It bears nearly the same relation to a in r/le, that o in obey 
does to o in old. Walker marks the e in piety, and the i and y in lenity 
as long e. His notation was a bad one. His actual pronunciation, 
probably, was the same as that which now prevails. The e, i and y are 
pronounced not exactly short T T as ptf-% len'2-/2, but much nearer short i 
than long e. The true sound bears the same relation to long e, that o in 
obey does to o in old. 



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STANDARD SCHOOL BOOKS, 

PUBLISHED BY 

GEORGE TILDEN, 

AND FOB SALE BY ALL THE BOOKSELLERS. 



North American Spelling: Book, conformed to Worcester's 

Dictionary. By Levi W. Leonard. Revised and Enlarged 

Edition. 

" This is a book worth writing about. It is very small and very 
cheap, but it is still worth thousands of much larger books, and of much 
greater pretensions."— Christian World. 

" Mr. Leonard we think has succeeded wonderfully. He helps the 
child easily along by his judicious and philosophical arrangement, shows 
the use of the dry lists or tables of words, by easy and interesting reading 
lessons, and does not discourage by attempting to do too much. The moral 
tone and adaptation of his reading lessonsi also strike us as singularly 
happy. In short, in view of all the Spelling Books we have seen, we are 
obliged to yield this the palm."— Chronotype. 

" To obviate the necessity of correcting the pronunciation once fixed, 
and to lay the foundation of good reading, is the object of Mr. Leonard's 
work, and it is only necessary to ask those who use it whether he has 
succeeded or not." — Bangor Whig, 

The Black-hoard. — Exercises and illustrations on the Black- 
board. By John Goldsbury. 

" We desire to commend this work to the notice of all teachers of youth 
in our State. They will find in it no visionary theories. It is truly a 
practical book." — Philanthropist. 

" We look upon this work as extremely valuable. Its design is to point 
out some of the uses of the Black-board in illustrating various branches 
of Science, and to aid teachers and pupils in using it. We commend 
it to the notice of teachers, who must have felt the want of such a 
work." — Standard. 

" We have never examined a work designed for the use of Schools, 
with which we have been better pleased than with this." — Winchester Gaz. 

Sequel to Easy L*essons.— A Selection of Reading Lessons 
for Common Schools ; designed to be Used after Easy Lessons, Ameri- 
can Popular Lessons, Boston Reading Lessons, &c. By Rev. Levi 
W. Leonard, author of the Literary and Scientific Class Book. 
05^ The first edition of four thousand copies was all sold in seven 
months. The selections are such as will highly interest the scholar, and, 
with few exceptions, are not found in other school books. 



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